Audiophiles Get Depth of Sound With Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite - 56juqingba: How-to instructions you can trust

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Table of Contents

Pros

8 balanced armature driver configurations
Perfectly balanced sounds
High quality cable
9 sets of tips included
Carrying case
Impressive overall sound quality

Cons

No L/R labels
Bass isn’t as punchy as expected

Our Rating

While many earbuds and headphones focus mainly on thumping bass or just vocals for podcasts and calls, audiophiles and musicians crave something more sophisticated. I had the pleasure of testing out the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite In-Ear Monitor headphones, and my initial take is that they’re exactly what audiophiles crave.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by Kiwi Ears. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author, who maintains editorial independence even when a post is sponsored.

Content

Gorgeous Design

Many headphones and IEM (in-ear monitor) headphones just look bland. Straight out of the box, the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite stand out. They come in several translucent colors, so you can see all the inner workings. I received the clear set for this review.

With a shape reminiscent of a guitar pick, the earbud-style headphones are lightweight, look great, and feature a flexible 4-core 7n oxygen-free copper cable. The two-pin design connects securely to the headphones and has a 3.5 mm connection, to fit with most common audio devices. I love that you can easily switch out cables if needed based on your needs.

Personally, I was afraid so much time had been spent on the aesthetics, that they wouldn’t stand up to the advertised sound quality. I’m happy to admit I was very wrong.

Hear Every Nuance in Your Music

I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself an ultra audiophile, but I do enjoy hearing more nuance and tone than just loud bass drowning out the more subtle sounds that give songs that extra bit of feeling. This is especially true with classical and instrumental music.

The Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite model is based on the original – and much more pricey – Kiwi Ears Orchestra. Yet, the company didn’t scale back on quality at all. In fact, the headphones feature most of the same specs, including:

8 balanced armature driver configurations
Stunning tonal balance
2 custom ultra tweeters for treble
4 custom midrange balanced armature drivers to make the mids pop
2 subwoofer drivers to accentuate the lows

These headphones are designed with studio musicians and audio engineers in mind, who need to hear far more detail than a casual listener. This means having a professional quality sound for everything from recording a demo and performing, to just listening to your favorite music.

I’m thoroughly impressed with how different music sounds through these. The balance is extraordinary, and every instrument seems to come alive with no distortion. For me, I could detect more mids and lows than usual, giving music a richer, more clear sound.

This blend is achieved through the following:

Keeping bass at sub-bass frequencies, maxing out at 8dB and a range between 20Hz to 200Hz.
Mids remain more neutral and stay between 200Hz and 800Hz
Matching the treble with your natural pinna perception, reaching a peak at 7dB and 2.5kHz, while slowly fading near 10kHz.

Did I also mention that each pair is handcrafted to ensure overall quality? That quality is apparent from the first time you use them.

A Difference You Can Hear

It’s important to note that you’ll hear things differently based on the tips you use. Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite comes with nine different pairs, three each of small, medium, and large. So play around to get the perfect sound you’re looking for.

Throughout my review, I personally didn’t hear quite as much bass as I’d like, especially with hard rock and pop, but once again, different tips may change that. But those guitar solos and subtle undertones stood out like never before.

For me, classical and instrumental music were where these IEMs really stood out. For example, I enjoy listening to arrangements by The Piano Guys. The tone and treble were significantly better using the Orchestra Lite than any other pair of headphones or earbuds I own. It felt more like sitting in the recording studio, getting a private concert.

I also connected these to my Fender electric guitar’s mini headphone amp and couldn’t believe the difference. If you want a richer, clearer sound while practicing with headphones, you need a pair of these. Of course, I’d imagine these would also work equally well in the studio or while performing.

Getting the Right Fit

While lightweight, these are slightly bigger than what you might be used to. The purpose is to fit more securely, preventing sound from escaping. The tip is around 6.5 mm, and the shell itself is larger than your standard earbuds.

Pay close attention to how you connect the pins. Ideally, you want to be able to tuck the cable behind your ears. I didn’t pay attention and had to reconnect the cable to get them to fit right. But the cable stays connected securely, so that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. However, I constantly fought with the right side to keep the cable tucked behind my ear. I’m not sure what was wrong. The cable naturally curved in the correct direction, but it slipped forward often.

One thing I do wish the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite had is an L/R label. The instruction manual states that the earpieces and cable are labeled with L/R, but there’s nothing there – and there’s a noticeable sound difference if the cable isn’t connected to the correct earpiece. But, just look at the product package or product page online, and it’s easy to tell how everything connects and should fit.

These BA headphones don’t have any ports to help equalize the air pressure, so they can take some getting used to. Using the right size tips and adjusting the fit now and then eliminates this problem.

If you’re not used to this style of headphones, give them a chance. At first, they may not be the most comfortable in terms of your typical earbuds, but you’ll quickly adjust and find that they’re far more comfortable than you ever expected.

Carry With Confidence

It should be obvious by now that these are an audiophile’s dream come true. Plus, at the price point, you get a much higher quality sound than you’d imagine. But they’re still not ultra-cheap, so you want to keep them safe while traveling.

The Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite headphones come with a hard shell carrying case that easily fits the cable, headphones, and even some extra tips or another small cable. It’s a nice bonus that just adds to the overall quality of the product.

Hear Music as It Was Meant to Be Heard

I’d never tried in-ear monitor headphones before, but I’m now a fan. They fit well, sound amazing, and look cool, too. If you’re all about that bass, and don’t care as much about the rest, they’re probably not for you. If you’re more about the treble, clarity, and feeling like you’re in the studio with the musicians, then you’ll love the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite for just $249.

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Crystal Crowder –
Staff Writer

Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.